Administering an injection is a process which presents a number of risks and challenges for users and healthcare professionals, both mental and physical. Injection devices typically fall into two categories—manual devices and autoinjectors. In a conventional manual device, manual force is required to drive a medicament through a needle. This is typically done by some form of button/plunger that has to be continuously pressed during the injection.
Autoinjector devices aim to make self-injection easier for patients. A conventional autoinjector may provide the force for administering the injection by a spring, and trigger button or other mechanism may be used to activate the injection. Autoinjectors may be single-use or reusable devices.
Conventional autoinjectors have limited safety features and compliance features. For example, some conventional autoinjectors may continue dispensing the medicament even when the autoinjector is removed from the injection site. Thus, it cannot be determined whether the patient received an intended dose.
Conventional delivery devices may also have limited feedback mechanisms. For example, some conventional delivery devices may provide audible feedback only, when an injection is initiated and/or completed.
Conventional injection devices may deliver the entire contents of a syringe/cartridge or may provide a predetermined or set dose. Conventional injection devices can lack mechanisms to ensure accurate dose delivery. For example, when the entire contents of the syringe/cartridge are intended to be delivered, a residual amount may remain which either means that a full dose was not delivered or the syringe/cartridge must be overfilled to ensure a proper dose is administered. As a further example, when the predetermined/set dose is delivered, over- or under-dosing may occur.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved medicament delivery device and cartridge.